Fondmort back on favourite course
Nicky Henderson's course specialist Fondmort gets the nap to land the Ryanair Chase. Last year saw the inaugural running of this Grade Two and the selection was only touched off in the dying strides when beaten half a length by Thisthatandtother.
Fondmort is a far better horse here than anywhere else and the last three races the ten-year-old has won have all come at Prestbury Park.
He warmed up for this test when finishing six lengths and two lengths third behind Our Vic (levels) and My Will at Lingfield in February.
Strictly on that running Fondmort cannot beat Our Vic now, but the ground was very testing that day and he will be far more at home on this surface.
Feature event is the Grade One Ladbrokes World Hurdle, a contest which looks a complete puzzle. If the real Baracouda turns up then he will surely win.
Francois Doumen's charge has a tremendous record in this race, winning twice and then taking second in the last two runnings.
But he doesn't run very often any more and is hardly getting any better as an 11-year-old. The vote falls on No Refuge, successful here a year ago in the SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle.
I thought he ran a perfectly adequate trial, certainly not knocked about, when fifth to Fire Dragon at Sandown. The worry, of course, is that his trainer Howard Johnson's horses are struggling for a bit of form.
The progressive Paul Nicholls trained Napolitain, only a five-year-old, should go well in the Racing Post Plate Handicap Chase.
He jumps for fun and there was plenty to like about the way he dismissed Graphic Approach at Sandown last time.
